Raid yields pot, cash and high-powered weapons

Columbus police seized 89 ?pounds of marijuana and $123,000 in cash in a Far East Side drug raid, but the cache of 22 guns was a surprise bonus.

Theodore Decker, The Columbus Dispatch

Columbus police seized 89 ?pounds of marijuana and $123,000 in cash in a Far East Side drug raid, but the cache of 22 guns was a surprise bonus.

ďThis number of guns in one place is a pretty significant seizure for us,Ē said Cmdr. Mary Mathias of the crimes against persons bureau.

Police said that at least eight of the guns had been stolen. The weapons included handguns, sniper-style rifles, AK-47s with 100-round drum magazines and a revolver-style shotgun designed for riot control and combat.

The last weapon was within armís reach of three occupants when police burst in, said Cmdr. Gary Cameron of the narcotics bureau.

The fruits of the Friday raid on two addresses on Yorkland Court, just east of I-270 and south of Main Street, were revealed in a news conference yesterday in the Police Divisionís property room.

Lt. Larry Yates of the narcotics bureau said police had learned that marijuana was being sold out of two apartments, at 1380 and 1386 Yorkland Rd. The raid on the addresses was complicated because the occupants were using surveillance cameras and the two addresses face each other, meaning that two tactical teams had to enter simultaneously.

Police took five people into custody but later released two. The remaining three men face an array of charges and possible federal prosecution, police said. Police would not release their names yesterday, citing the continuing investigation.

Sgt. Keith Winn of the divisionís gun unit said seven of the guns had been stolen in a burglary in the Canal Winchester area several months ago. Detectives are tracing the history of each gun to see whether others had also been stolen.